Image Effects in the Appreciation of Video Rock

Abstract

Sexual and/or violent images or both were added to the visual portion of a rock-music video whose original visuals were both nonsexual and nonviolent. The music was used in a control condition. Enjoyment of the rock music was markedly influenced by particular visual embellishments. The involvement of sexual stimuli intensified music appreciation in both males and females. There was a tendency for the involvement of violent stimuli to have a similar effect. However, the combination of sexual and violent images failed to enhance appreciation of the music. Irrespective of enjoyment, the presence of visual embellishments influenced the perception of music also. The visualization of rebellious lyrical elements, whether or not emphasizing sex or violence or both, fostered perceptions of greater musical rebelliousness. The involvement of violent images produced the strongest effect of this kind. Additionally, the involvement of sexual images made the music appear more sensual and romantic for males. Females, in contrast, found the rock music devoid of visual embellishments most romantic. Finally, females, in contrast to males, reported less enjoyment for visual accompaniments of rock that involved sexual images than for those that were devoid of them, and they objected more strongly than males to the incorporation of sexual images in publicly accessible rock-music videos.